Under pressure and light as air
Two trendy kitchen gadgets to try now
It’s Valentine’s Day. And while kitchen gadgets don’t rate high on the list of romantic presents, here are two you’re bound to love — an air fryer and an electric multicooker like an Instant Pot.
“It’s pretty much the big rage,” said food consultant Linda Funk. “You can make yogurt in there. You can make rice. It’s a pretty amazing appliance.”
Whip up steel-cut oats or slow cook osso buco.
“It can do almost anything,” she added. “I gave away my Crock-Pot. You don’t need it anymore. It becomes a Crock-Pot. It’s also a pressure cooker that’s not scary.” And pressure cookers save time. “The pressure cookers and electric cookers are becoming really popular because people want to cook quickly,” said New Jersey chef Johanna Outwin, who recently taught a pressure-cooker class with “falloff-the-bone” chicken and beef stew.
“The beef stew if you make it on the stove or you make in a slow cooker, it takes hours,” she explained. “It took us 35 minutes for the beef stew. It is really, really good.”
Outwin favors a stovetop pressure cooker because “they’re not dangerous anymore,” and “I have everything else,” she said. However, “if people are starting on their own or don’t have much equipment, the electric cooker would be great for them because they can do a lot.”
Want to eat healthier, but can’t resist fried foods?
With an air fryer, “you’re not using any extra oils to make it nice and crispy,” described Funk. “You would not believe how good it tastes!”
Think cheeseburgers, Cajun shrimp and even chocolate cake.
“It’s easy, easy, easy,” she said. “It’s forced hot air. It’s almost like convection, if you will, but it’s this little air fryer that sits on the counter.”
Sure, you can make chips and fries, but veggies taste great too. Try “the brussels sprouts you will fight over” by Christina Verrelli, a Pillsbury Bake-Off winner, food blogger and Kitchen Aid on-air guest for QVC.
The bottom line, according to Funk: “People who don’t have big, expensive kitchens can still do fabulous things in these appliances.”
Pressure-Cooker Beef Stew INGREDIENTS
1½ pounds stew beef, cut into 1-inch cubes
¼ cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 cups beef broth
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1½ cups canned diced tomatoes 2 to
3 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 to 3 carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 medium turnip, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 tablespoon thyme leaves
INSTRUCTIONS
Combine the flour, salt and pepper in a shallow dish; dredge the beef, shake off the excess flour and set aside. Combine the beef broth, Worcestershire and mustard in a measuring cup and set aside. Heat the olive oil in the pressure cooker over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook, turning frequently, until lightly browned on all sides. Transfer the beef to a plate and discard any excess fat. Reduce the heat to medium and add the olive oil to the cooker. Add the onion and cook until soft and translucent, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute longer. Stir in the beef broth mixture and tomatoes, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Return the beef to the cooker and bring the mixture to a simmer, raising the heat if necessary.
Cover the cooker, lock the lid into place and bring it to high pressure. Cook for 20 minutes at high pressure, then remove from heat, release the pressure, taste the gravy and adjust the seasoning as needed. Add the potatoes, carrots, turnip and thyme leaves. Cover the cooker and lock the lid in place. Bring the cooker back to high pressure and then cook the stew for an additional 5 minutes. Remove the cooker from the heat and allow the pressure to drop naturally before opening. Spoon the stew into bowls and serve immediately.